This distinctive late-flowering perennial is putting on a show along the Streamside.
Tricyrtis fromosana (toad lily) belongs to the lily family, and occurs naturally in humus-rich, slightly acidic soils in shady forests, thickets and roadsides of Nansei-shotō, Taiwan. In cultivation the rhizomes will spread to develop dense colonies, if given moisture and shade. One of approximately 20 species occurring from the eastern Himalaya to the Philippines, it bears alternate leaves and star-shaped, 6-tepalled, often freckled flowers typical of the genus. The three outer tepals have distinctive basal bulges. The genus takes its name from Greek tri (three) and kyrtos (humped). In this species the flowers are borne in axillary cymes, and have a white background with red-purple spots, and a yellow throat.